In the existing art, when a user signs up for telephone service with a telephone carrier, the user typically enters into a pre-pay/post-pay service contract. According to such a contract, the user agrees to pay the carrier a recurring amount of money in advance of each billing period in exchange for using a designated quantity of telephone service during the billing period. After the billing period, the carrier then bills the user an overage charge for any use of service that exceeded the designated quantity in the billing period. In addition, if the user incurs other charges during the billing period, such as for acquiring media (e.g., ringtones, screensavers, games, etc.) or hardware (e.g., telephones, accessories, etc.) from the carrier, the carrier may include those additional charges on the user's bill as well.
By way of example, a subscriber may sign up for a monthly service plan that gives the subscriber 1,000 base minutes of service per month for a cost of $40.00, with an overage charge of $0.10 per minute. Thus, in advance of each month, the subscriber would pay the carrier $40.00. If, during a given month, the subscriber then used 1,235 minutes of service and incurred $75.00 of purchase charges (e.g., for media or hardware), the carrier would thereafter bill the subscriber for an overage charge of $23.50 plus the purchase charge of $75.00.
Recognizing that certain subscribers are credit challenged, in that they tend to not pay their bills on time if at all, a carrier may further impose spending caps on certain subscribers. For instance, a carrier may limit certain subscribers to incur no more than a specified maximum in excess charges (including, for example, overage charges and purchase charges) beyond the subscriber's base service plan per billing period. Once the subscriber hits the specified maximum limit in excess charges, the carrier may then take an action such as cutting off the subscriber's service until the subscriber pre-pays an additional amount to the carrier.
By way of example, a carrier may impose a $100.00/month excess spending cap on certain subscribers. In a given month, if such a subscriber then incurs excess charges (such as overage charges and/or purchase charges) totaling or exceeding $100.00, the carrier may then block the subscriber from placing or receiving further calls until the subscriber pre-pays an additional amount to the carrier. To enforce this policy in practice, the carrier may automatically re-direct subsequent call attempts by the subscriber to a voice-response platform that will explain the situation to the subscriber and ask the subscriber to pay an additional amount in order to maintain service. Once the subscriber pays an additional amount, the carrier may then allow the subscriber to place the call or may automatically connect the subscriber's attempted call.
At issue in this or similar arrangements, however, is what amount of money the subscriber should pay to the carrier in order to maintain telecom service. Unfortunately, as a general matter, credit-challenged subscribers faced with this question will tend to pay the carrier just a small amount of additional money, so that the carrier will allow them to place their currently attempted call. Yet such subscribers will then likely face the same situation again the next time they seek to place a call. Therefore, a better solution is desired.